Why should we be concerned about the customer experience? What difference will it make?

The challenge is, if not now, then when? If not now, will I be in business 10 years from now?

Customers and their expectations have changed. Now is the time for us to change as well.

• Commoditization has stripped away existing sources of differentiation. Competitive barriers of the past like manufacturing strength, distribution power, and information mastery can’t save you today – one by one, each of these corporate investments has been commoditized.
•  Traditional industry boundaries have dissolved. Companies in every industry find themselves competing with new types of competitors – automakers with services like Zipcar, newspapers with Google News, travel agents with Expedia, and the entire retail industry with Ebay.
•  Customers have more power than ever. With online reviews, social networks, and mobile web access, it’s easy for your customers to know more about your products, services, competitors, and pricing than you – and to share their opinions of your company with their friends.

“For decades, companies have been promising to delight customers, while simultaneously disappointing them in nearly every channel. That tactic won’t cut it anymore. Why not? We’ve entered a new era that Forrester calls the age of the customer — a time when focus on the customer matters more than any other strategic imperative.” ~~Kerry Bodine at Forrester, in a great blog post